Lichtstele. 1972.
Object. Aluminum and plexiglass.
Signed and dated on base. 225 x 38 x 50 cm (88.5 x 14.9 x 19.6 in). [SM].

With a certificate issued by Atelier Mack, Mönchengladbach, from March 2015.

The idea of the light steles goes back to the Saharap project, which Heinz Mack first conceived in 1958. It is based on the idea of a reflecting stele that captures the glistening light in the vast and empty desert and forms a vibrant sun pilar. The first light stele was made of aluminum and was realized in Paris in 1959. Various models in different materials, free-standing or in transparent boxes, followed. The steles are basically an elongated form of Mack's light reliefs, which visualize the motion of light through the reflection on bulged metal surfaces - a quest that characterizes Heinz Mack's entire creation.